Foundation treats 38 women with VVF in Kontagora

Sani Bello Foundation medical unit in Kontagora Local Government area of Niger said it has sponsored the treatment of 38 women living with Vesico-Vaginal Fistula(VVF).

Fistula is a hole between the vagina and usually the bladders which leads to continuous leakage of urine from the bladder into the vagina and urinary incontinence.

Mr Zakari Ikani, Director General of the Foundation, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kontagora on Friday.

He said the gesture was in line with the foundation’s mandate to offer free medical treatment to those suffering from VVF.

Ikani explained that women were afflicted by the ailment due to early marriage and prolonged labour.

According to him, the foundation medical unit is fully committed towards providing qualitative health care delivery to VVF patients and to create job opportunities for them under its skill acquisition program.

”Most of the patients were abandoned by their husbands and left to their parents to carter for them, while most parents could not even afford to feed themselves talk more of settling their medical bills.

“We have equipped our medical unit with required medical facilities that would continue to meet the health care needs of our rural dwellers for free “.

He said that the foundation had embarked on aggressive sensitisation of rural dwellers on the negative effect on the health of young girls forced into early marriage.

He added that most of the cases would have been avoided if proper sensitization was done at the grassroots level .

“Our primary goal is to help train some of these women in vocations to empower them toward a better life.

“However, we have succeeded in training some of them in knitting, tailoring, soap making and poultry farming among others.

”We have also provided them with the basic tools to start up their own businesses.” he said.